Staph Infections

What Is a Staph Infection?

Staph is the shortened name for Staphylococcus (staf-uh-low-KAH-kus),
a type of bacteria. These bacteria
live harmlessly on many skin surfaces, especially around the nose, mouth, genitals,
and anus. But if the skin is punctured or broken, staph bacteria can enter the wound
and cause an infection.

What Are the Signs & Symptoms of a Staph Skin Infection?

Staph skin infections show up in lots of different ways. Conditions often caused
by S. aureus include:

Folliculitis (fuh-lih-kyoo-LY-tus): This is an infection of the
hair follicles, the tiny pockets under the skin where hair shafts (strands) grow.
In folliculitis, tiny white-headed pimples appear at the base of hair shafts, sometimes
with a small red area around each pimple. This happens often where people shave or
have irritated skin from rubbing against clothing.

A furuncle (fyoor-UNK-ul), commonly known as a boil:
These swollen, red, painful lumps in the skin usually are due to an infected hair
follicle. The lump fills with pus, growing larger and more painful until it ruptures
and drains. Furuncles often begin as folliculitis and then worsen. They most often
appear on the face, neck, buttocks, armpits, and inner thighs, where small hairs can
get irritated. A cluster of several furuncles is called a carbuncle
(KAR-bunk-ul). Someone with a carbuncle may feel ill and and have a fever.

Impetigo
(im-puh-TYE-go): This superficial skin infection is most common in young children,
usually on the face, hands, or feet. It begins as a small blister or pimple, and then
develops a honey-colored crust.

Cellulitis
(sell-yuh-LYE-tus): This begins as a small area of redness, pain, swelling, and warmth
on the skin, usually on the legs. As this area spreads, a child may feel feverish
and ill.

A stye: Kids
with one of these have a red, warm, uncomfortable bump near the edge of the eyelid.

MRSA: This
type of staph bacteria is resistant to the antibiotics used treat staph infections.
MRSA infections can be harder to treat, but most heal with proper care. Most MRSA
infections involve the skin.

Scalded skin syndrome: This most often affects newborns and kids
under age 5. It starts with a small staph skin infection, but the staph bacteria make
a toxin that affects skin all over the body. The child has a fever, rash, and sometimes
blisters. As blisters burst and the rash passes, the top layer of skin sheds and the
skin surface becomes red and raw, like a burn. This serious illness affects the body
in the same way as serious burns.
It needs to be treated in a hospital. After treatment, most kids make a full recovery.

Wound infections: These cause symptoms (redness, pain, swelling,
and warmth) similar to those from cellulitis. A person might have fever and feel sick
in general. Pus or a cloudy fluid can drain from the wound and a yellow crust can
develop.

How Do Staph Infections Spread?

Staph bacteria can spread:

when someone touches a contaminated surface

from person to person, especially in group living situations (like college dorms).
Usually this happens when people with skin infections share personal things like bed
linens, towels, or clothing.

from one area of their body to another, via dirty hands or fingernails

Warm, humid environments can contribute to staph infections, so excessive sweating
can increase someone's chances of developing an infection. People with skin problems
like burns or eczema
may be more likely to get staph skin infections.

How Are Staph Infections Treated?

Most small staph skin infections can be treated at home:

Soak the affected area in warm water or apply warm, moist washcloths. Use a cloth
or towel only once when you soak or clean an area of infected skin. Then, wash them
in soap and hot water and dry them fully in a clothes dryer.

Put a heating pad or a hot water bottle to the skin for about 20 minutes, three
or four times a day.

Apply antibiotic ointment, if recommended by your doctor.

Give pain relievers like acetaminophen
or ibuprofen to ease pain
until the infection goes away. Follow the package directions on how much to give and
how often.

Cover the skin with a clean dressing or bandage.

Treat a stye by using warm compresses over the eye (with the eye closed) three
or four times a day. Always use a clean washcloth each time. Occasionally, a stye
will need a topical antibiotic.

Teens who get a staph infection on skin areas that are normally shaved should stop
shaving until the infection clears up. If they do have to shave the area, they should
use a clean disposable razor or clean the electric razor after each use.

Your doctor may prescribe an oral antibiotic for a staph skin infection. Give it
on schedule for as many days as directed. More serious staph infections might need
to be treated in a hospital, and an abscess
(or pocket of pus) that doesn't respond to home care might need to be drained.

To help prevent a staph infection from spreading to other parts of the body:

Don't directly touch the infected skin.

Keep the area covered whenever possible.

Use a towel only once when you clean or dry the area. After using, wash the towel
in hot water. Or use disposable towels.

How Long Does a Staph Infection Last?

How long it takes for a staph skin infection to heal depends on the type of infection
and whether it's treated. A boil, for example, may take 10 to 20 days to heal without
treatment, but treatment may speed up the healing process. Most styes go away on their
own within several days.